Vienna Pride 25 May to 9 June – Pride Village 6-8 June – 28. Regenbogenparade on 8 June
Vienna (OTS) – Pride is a celebration of love, acceptance and cohesion. But Pride is more than that: Pride is a demonstration. It’s about the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people. Pride exists to make visible what is all too often pushed into invisibility. So that LGBTIQ young people and others who cannot (yet) live openly know that they are not alone. So that everyone can see that LGBTIQ people and their families, friends and supporters are many. The core of every Pride is taking to the streets, and this year Vienna Pride is dedicating the motto “Pride is a demonstration” to that.
Making LGBTIQ concerns visible in an election year
Vienna Pride organizer Katharina Kacerovsky-Strobl says: “With the motto we want to bring to the fore what Vienna Pride stands for. It is important that our concerns and issues reach the majority of society, which can be seen in the fact that business and politics take our concerns seriously and support us more and more. But At its core, Pride is a movement that comes from the streets and is as diverse as the LGBTIQ community itself. That’s why we want to use the motto to encourage everyone to interpret it for themselves and say what they are specifically demonstrating for
: pride is a demonstration for love. Pride is a demonstration for human rights. Pride is a demonstration for freedom and democracy. Pride is a demonstration for trans rights. Pride is a demonstration for inter rights. Pride is a demonstration for our future. Pride is a demonstration of equality and respect. Just a demonstration for everything that our community is taking to the streets for and creating visibility with the many events and collaborations in order to correct the grievances that still exist.”
Ann-Sophie Otte, the chairwoman of HOSI Vienna, which organizes the rainbow parade, adds: “The motto is also intended to encourage participants in this largest demonstration in Austria to make their demands on politicians loud and clear. Whether it’s protection from discrimination, an end to medically unnecessary operations on intersex children, or free naming rights for transgender people: Pride is what we as a community make of it. And our community, with around 900,000 people across Austria, cannot be ignored, especially not in the coming election year.
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Pride Village again on the town hall square
But the visibility of the LGBTIQ community and its concerns is not only created at the Rainbow Parade, but is also once again in the heart of Vienna: together with Vice Mayor Christoph Wiederkehr, the financing of three days of Pride Village was secured. The tent city will be back on Rathausplatz from June 6th to 8th, which is home to many clubs and initiatives in the LGBTIQ community during Vienna Pride and is the heart of queer life in the city.
Vice Mayor Christoph Wiederkehr says: “We all share the common goal of making the community visible to the public. That’s why I’m really looking forward to many colorful events in Pride Month: be it the Pride Village at Rathausplatz or the Rainbow Parade. Pride in the heart of the rainbow capital Vienna – a city of diversity! Because it is important to me to strengthen equality and acceptance with comprehensive information and to counter hate and discrimination. Every person in Vienna should be able to live their love!
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The coalition partner SPÖ is also behind this solution, explains local councilor Nicole Berger-Krotsch: “PRIDE Month and especially the Rainbow Parade are of particular importance for our rainbow capital, Vienna. We are proud of the diversity in our city and stand with the LGBTIQ community in the fight against discrimination and exclusion and for real equality! In Vienna we demonstrate every day that we are stronger together. Vienna Pride is a particularly strong and visible symbol of this. My special thanks go to all organizers, participants and volunteer activists!
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“We are very pleased that after long and intensive discussions with the City of Vienna and other partners and supporters, we have found a good solution for the LGBTIQ community in Vienna,” says Kacerovsky-Strobl. “The Pride Village as a community village in such a central place as the town hall square, where we come together once a year for several days, is an important and strong sign! We invite you to get to know each other, our community presents itself to the outside world, places itself visibly and we clearly show where we belong and that we have arrived at the center of society! We would like to thank everyone who made this possible, from politicians to our supporters to the Vienna LGBTIQ community.”
Vienna Pride conference in the town hall and Pride Run at the Ring
However, in 2024, dozens of Pride events will once again make the whole of Vienna shine in the rainbow, explains Kacerovsky-Strobl: “From May 25th to June 9th, together with the community and our cooperation partners, we will once again be holding dozens of our own and cooperation events the entire city. I can already announce two highlights: On the one hand, there will be another Vienna Pride conference in the town hall on June 7th to discuss current content and a broad discourse between the community and cooperation partners from business, politics and other areas of the public sphere to make life possible. And on the other hand, also on June 7th, the Pride Run will take place again on Vienna’s Ringstrasse, where over a thousand people last ran for visibility and solidarity in 2019.”
Rainbow parade for visibility and diversity
The rainbow parade itself will once again march around the ring on June 8th as a central demonstration for the rights and concerns of LGBTIQ people and social acceptance, traditionally “the other way around”, i.e. against the direction of travel. It is organized by the Homosexual Initiative (HOSI) Vienna. HOSI Vienna chairwoman Otte says: “In addition to the political demands, the central issue is the visibility of people who are otherwise often overlooked as a minority. This day is about the unmistakable sign: There are many of us! And there are many with us who may not belong to the LGBTIQ community themselves, but who are firmly at our side – simply because it is right to stand up for equality, acceptance and diversity.”
The organizers would also like to thank the several hundred volunteers who contribute to Vienna Pride every year: “Without them, Vienna Pride would not exist. They are the backbone and soul of the community.”
Questions & Contact:
Presse Vienna Pride
Tel.: +43 660 243 40 06
E-Mail: presse@viennapride.at